Saturday, September 26, 2009

Not Fair

You Call This Hunting?

It was a positively lovely day, so I decided to take all the Boys out for hacks. I decided to start with Toby for several reasons. Since I know him best and he is the most experienced trail horse, I would be able to judge the bug annoyance quotient best with him. And, he hasn't been out in a while. And, he like to go on hacks.

Off we went, nibbling tree leaves on the way. We had a super nice ride out, and as we headed for the trail back home, I even let him stop at the "salad bar" mound of dirt and green grass for a nice little graze. Then, we reentered the woods for the trail back to the arena. Snort! Spook! Spin! Try to gallop back the other way!!

What the hey?

A hunter had pitched a camouflage pop tent off the the left, facing a diagonal back towards my house where a little trail goes out to the cornfield. This was obviously a hunter's blind which is legal and OK, though I wish it were not so close to my property. (It is on State land, probably several hundred feet into the woods.) But here's the rub--something I had already seen a few days before--the trail was baited with corn in several piles.

Now, what is is baited for? Deer? Turkeys? And just how fair is that? Make a bait station to lure the animals in days before the season starts so they get comfortable feeding there and then shoot them? Now, in the olden days when hunters depended on game for survival, perhaps...but today, when hunting is a "sport?"

I am seriously considering putting a note in the tent telling him..."Horses and houses just ahead of your line of fire. Please be extra cautious." It just might make him think a little without antagonizing him.

But back to the "Spook" etc. I had to dismount and lead Toby home to get him past the "terror tent."

So that kind of put a crimp in my plan to take Tucker out, because there didn't seem to be a way to avoid the tent, at least using trails I could trust Tucker on. So, I put the bridle on him and led him out to meet TT face to face. Good thing I didn't try to ride him. He was snorting from yards away and quite prepared to head home posthaste if I'd let him.

But horses are actually, by nature, pretty curious beasts and eventually, curiosity and my bold demeanor got the best of him. Soon he was sniffing TT and perfectly content to walk all around it. (Hunter might be perplexed with the hoofprints at his door.) Then I decided that perhaps I should just take Tucker on a walking trail ride instead since we were already out there. Off we went on a little jaunt, cut short by the sound of ATV/minibike engines in the woods somewhere. Once again, I opted for the safer alternative, turned around and headed home again, making sure TT did not upset Tucker on the way back either.

Then I put the bridle back on Toby and introduced him "face to face" with TT as well, hoping that next time out he will walk by without incident. (Mind you, TT is maybe 25 meters off the trail, tucked into the trees.) *sigh*

Done with the big boys, I decided I might as well lead Chance out there to have a look. Well, my goodness. He would have walked right in TT, sat down in the chair and kicked his feet back for a little nap if I'd let him. He didn't even react at all he was so calm about it. What a good boy, and definitely not a Thoroughbred.

Daring soul that I am, I then took him into the arena and decided to try to ride him bareback for a few minutes. How about 30 seconds? The first problem was getting on. Even with the three step mounting block, I couldn't swing a leg over. I had to use the mounting block to get on a barrel and then on to Chance.

Well is a nice round boy and did feel comfy, but all these years away from bareback, slightly slippery breeches, and a horse who really didn't have a clue what to do when my balance shifted the wrong way and I made I half way around the arena at an erratic walk before I decided not to risk it any more and got off. How totally discouraging that I should have felt that insecure. I used to ride Russell R. and PJ bareback all the time. I've ridden Toby a few times, but his spook is so dramatic, I wasn't too keen about it. Needless to say, I never tried "Bucker Tucker" bareback, so it's been a while. Who would have thought I would have lost my knack? Ah, well, that's why saddles were invented, and why I have one...or more, actually.

I went back into the barn, saddled Chance up and took him on a proper, but short hack, taking the "Tucker Trail" just to finish off the day.

Then, I spent the rest of the afternoon mowing the lawn. Took me a bit to get the mower started, but once I did, I even managed to mow the grass in the front area by the road where the water collects after the rain. It was far too wet to mow in there the last time, so the grass was pretty high. I never quite do the most perfect job, but it's mowed, and that's all that matters to me.

I did a bit of weed whacking, came in for a bite to eat and now I have to go back out to feed the Boys.

It's a good feeling to have accomplished so much during the day. And I'm pleased I had the energy and ambition to do it all.

8 comments:

I'm never comfortable during hunting season. I know some of these guys and they are not rocket scientists and I don't trust them to not shoot anything that moves. It's too bad one of your horses didn't leave a personal calling card at his tent if you know what I mean. This guy is a real cheater and is not giving the game a fair chance. What a jerk.

Glad you got lots of work done today anyway with the boys, but it would have been so much nicer to be able to ride the trails. It was such a gorgeous day.

Hunters are scary, particularly so close to houses, people and horses.

I don't ride bareback much anymore - I grew up riding that way - partly because I'm a lot stiffer than I was, and getting on Maisie is pretty hard as she's so big. She also doesn't seem to think much of the idea - it makes her nervous - but I expect she'd get over that if I persisted.

back to UK hunting laws....we're not allowed to hunt for anything with hounds (or dogs of any description, so can't hunt rabbit). but there are things we're allowed to do that means a lot of the fox hunts keep going, but not the way they used to.

it's a bit complicated, and has resulted in a lot more foxes being shot than might otherwise have been the case.

but we are allowed to go out and shoot them, you see...go figure.

i always reckoned the campaign against fox hunting was based on class jealousy, the assumption being that only upper class toffs hunt, where in fact it's a sport that is often indulged in by the workers as well..

I never understood baiting. It wasn't legal where I grew up in the south, but here in NJ where deer are a nuisance and you can't spit without hitting one hunters feel the need to "lure them out". I nearly tripped over a herd of deer this morning behind the barn....such wiley beasts!

Tucker and Spider must share a brain, *lol*. Spider always acts scared of new things, then in a few minutes his curiosity gets the better of him and he tries to play with it!

I'm in the US but have read some of the UK's hunting law changes. It didn't seem realistic to me and I never would have thought the UK would have passed such laws...oh well. Yes, I fear the hunters as well and I don't even trail ride! My brother in law who bow hunts, which I thought would make it harder to hit a deer, set up an auto feeder contraption about 25 yards outside of his mother in law's house. He killed a deer last year, by opening the dining room window and shooting with his bow, got it at the auto feeder. I have argued with him over this as that is NO KIND OF HUNTING!!! Maybe the deer have to hunt out the feeder but HE didn't do any hunting!!! Egads, what is so great about that!!!!Much luck on future rides as this hunting crazed season comes on!

Baiting deer? I hunt, but out here, baiting and dogs are illegal. We have to go up and down mountains and search for deer. It's just a different mentality, I guess. It's scary to have that so close to your horses. I hope you can come to an agreement with the "hunter".

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About Me

I have been riding for more than 50 years and owned horses since 1971.
I am a retired High School English teacher and a political/environmental activist.
I write fantasy stories/novels and am a soprano choir member and soloist. I have also authored a few songs that have been published and performed.